Homerton College Boat Club
Encyclopedia
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
club for members of Homerton College, University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. Their blade colours are white with a single royal blue band.
Homerton College Boat Club first competed in the women's Lent
Lent Bumps
The Lent Bumps are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from its inception in 1827...
and May Bumps
May Bumps
The May Bumps are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start of March. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from...
in 1978, four years after the women's bumps divisions commenced in the Mays, and two years after women's racing began in the Lents. The highest position attained to date is second in the Lents first division in 1986. In the May Bumps, the highest position was 5th in the first division in 1985. There were many Homerton women represented in CUWBC in the 1980s and 1990s, under the guidance of veteran GB coaches Roger Silk and Ron Needs. A notable fact is that one HCBC Women's crew won their oars in the 80s whilst being coached by a certain (not yet then Sir) Steve Redgrave, although the exact details are currently unknown. Homerton College, until recent years, had a very high female to male ratio and this in turn was reflected at the boat club. The women's side of the club have three eights, called 'Sarah-Ann', 'Percy' and 'Cyril', the latter being one of the first 'Burgashell' boats ever to be produced. After a number of lean years in the early 2000s, Homerton Women's 1st VIII are back on the rise up the bumps charts, and in 2007, achieved their first overbump in May Bumps since the women's divisions started rowing in VIIIs rather than IVs. They have consistently risen in the May Bumps charts every year since 2004, and have their sights firmly on regaining their place in the first division.
Homerton College Men's 1st VIII are rapidly gaining status on the River Cam, turning in consistently good performances in the twice-yearly bumping races. In 2008, the Men's 1st VIII won their blades in the May Bumps
May Bumps
The May Bumps are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start of March. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from...
in an epic set of races, bumping early twice on the first two days before first post corner, but then hunting down a Blue-stacked St Edmund's 1st VIII and bumping them 200m from the finish-line. They completed their oar-winning season by bumping Corpus Christi in front of an ecstatic crowd at the Plough in a very tight race during which Corpus had overlap on Jesus II in front of them. In 2007, the Men's 1st VIII won their blades in both Lent Bumps
Lent Bumps
The Lent Bumps are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from its inception in 1827...
and May Bumps
May Bumps
The May Bumps are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start of March. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from...
, on each occasion bumping four times to go up four places, whilst rowing five times (once as the sandwich boat), and moving up to division 2. Another recent high point was the winning of 'blades' in Lent Bumps 2004
Lent Bumps 2004
The Lent Bumps 2004 were a series of rowing races held at Cambridge University from Tuesday, 24 February 2004 until Saturday 28 February 2004. The event was run as a bumps race and is one of the series of Lent Bumps which have been held annually in late-February or early March since 1887. See Lent...
, going up 6 places, after over-bumping Girton
Girton College Boat Club
Girton College Boat Club is the rowing club for members of Girton College, Cambridge. Girton was originally a college for women only, but first allowed men in 1977. A men's crew first appeared in 1980 in both the Lent and May Bumps, rising to the 1st division in the Lent Bumps by 1995. Since then,...
II, and bumping 1st & 3rd Trinity
First and Third Trinity Boat Club
The First and Third Trinity Boat Club is the rowing club of Trinity College in Cambridge, England. The club formally came into existence in 1946 when the First Trinity Boat Club and the Third Trinity Boat Club merged, although the 2 clubs had been rowing together for several years before that date...
III, Selwyn
Selwyn College Boat Club
Selwyn College Boat Club is the rowing club for members of Selwyn College, Cambridge.In the early days of the Lent and May Bumps, Selwyn spent a lot of time in the 2nd division, but rose sharply from the mid-1920s, reaching 3rd in the May Bumps throughout the early 1930s and 2nd in the Lent Bumps...
II and Clare
Clare Boat Club
Clare Boat Club is the rowing club for members of Clare College, Cambridge. Prior to about 1930, the Clare 1st VIII spent most of its time near the boundary of the 1st and 2nd divisions of the Lent and May Bumps. It rose to take the headship of the Lent Bumps in 1939...
II, and in Lent Bumps 2009
Lent Bumps 2009
The Lent Bumps 2009 is a series of rowing races held at Cambridge University from Tuesday February 24, 2009 until Saturday February 28, 2009. The event was run as a bumps race and was the 122nd in the series of Lent Bumps which have been held annually in late-February or early March in this form...
. They also hold the Oxbridge record for the most places advanced during one series of bumps (either Mays, Lents, or Torpids/Eights for Oxford), advancing 13 places in the 2001 Mays, where the crew moved up a division to division 3 and also won blades. Despite the efforts of the oarsmen, the greatest hero, or rather heroine, of the men's side of HCBC remains "The Lady Hilary": the single fibreglass boat available to the Men's 1st VIII for the majority of the club's history. Held together by little more than hope and epoxy resin, Hilary has been the site of many a shivering eighteen year old's transition into manhood. On the women's side of the club there is a tradition for the first boat crew to pass a banana from the cox to the bow and back again, each taking a small bite before passing it on to show unity within the crew. This tradition in mirrored in the second boat but instead of a banana they pass a packet of jelly beans and each eat one, this tradition was started in 2009 after Sophie "Bean" Beanland was christened "St Bean, patron saint of W2" after rowing in the lents getting on race for 3 years in a row and captaining the lower boats for 2.
HCBC colours are navy blue with white trim, although zephyrs are white with blue trim. It is traditional to wear a sock of each of the boat club's colours when racing with a blue sock on the foot opposite the rigger. HCBC train at the First and Third Trinity Boat Club
First and Third Trinity Boat Club
The First and Third Trinity Boat Club is the rowing club of Trinity College in Cambridge, England. The club formally came into existence in 1946 when the First Trinity Boat Club and the Third Trinity Boat Club merged, although the 2 clubs had been rowing together for several years before that date...
's boathouse, and rent boat racks from them. The club has recently acquired its own ergos (rowing machines) which are located on college grounds.
Recent form
Below are tables showing the performance of the men's and women's 1st VIIIs over the last decade in the LentLent Bumps
The Lent Bumps are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held in mid-June. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from its inception in 1827...
and May Bumps
May Bumps
The May Bumps are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start of March. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from...
.
Men
| Year (* denotes blades) | Finish position | 1st day | 2nd day | 3rd day | 4th Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | (did not race) | (did not race) | (did not race) | (did not race) | |
| 1999 | 51st | rowed-over | rowed-over | bumped by | bumped |
| 2000 | 50th | bumped | bumped | bumped by | bumped by |
| 2001 | 51st ¤ | rowed-over | bumped by | (cancelled) | (cancelled) |
| 2002 | 47th | (cancelled) | double over-bumped | rowed-over | rowed-over |
| 2003 | 46th | rowed-over | rowed-over | rowed-over | bumped |
| 2004* | 40th | over-bumped | bumped | bumped | bumped |
| 2005 | 37th | bumped | bumped | rowed-over | bumped |
| 2006 | 38th | bumped | bumped by | bumped by | rowed-over |
| 2007* | 34th | rowed-over | bumped | bumped | bumped & |
| 2008 | 31st | bumped | rowed over | bumped | bumped |
| 2009* | 27th | bumped | bumped | bumped | bumped |
| 2010 | 29th | Rowed Over | bumped by | Rowed Over | bumped by |
¤ Racing was cancelled on the Friday and Saturday of this week due to an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease which forced the closure of the towpath.
Women
| Year (* denotes blades) | Finish position | 1st day | 2nd day | 3rd day | 4th Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 28th | bumped by | bumped by | bumped by | bumped by |
| 1999 | 30th | bumped by | rowed-over | bumped by | rowed-over |
| 2000 | 29th | bumped by | rowed-over | bumped | bumped |
| 2001 | 30th ¤ | bumped by | rowed-over | (cancelled) | (cancelled) |
| 2002 | 31st | (cancelled) | bumped by | rowed-over | rowed-over |
| 2003 | 33rd | bumped | bumped by | bumped by | bumped by Addenbrooke's |
| 2004 | 33rd | rowed-over | rowed-over | bumped by | rowed-over |
| 2005 | 37th | bumped by | bumped by | bumped by | bumped by |
| 2006 | 36th | bumped by | rowed-over | bumped | bumped |
| 2007 | 33rd | bumped & | rowed-over | rowed-over | bumped |
| 2008 | 31st | rowed over | rowed over | bumped | bumped |
| 2009 | 30th | bumped | rowed over | rowed over | rowed over |
| 2010 | 27th | bumped | bumped | bumped | Rowed Over |
Men
| Year (* denotes blades) | Finish position | 1st day | 2nd day | 3rd day | 4th Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997* | 71st | bumped | bumped | bumped | bumped |
| 1998* | 65th | bumped | bumped | bumped | bumped |
| 1999 | 61st | bumped | bumped | rowed-over | bumped |
| 2000* | 53rd | double over-bumped | bumped | bumped | bumped |
| 2001* | 40th | bumped & | over-bumped | triple over-bumped | bumped |
| 2002 | 37th | bumped | bumped | rowed-over | bumped |
| 2003 | 37th | rowed-over | bumped | rowed-over | bumped by |
| 2004 | 40th | bumped by | rowed-over | bumped by | bumped by |
| 2005 | 39th | bumped by | rowed-over | bumped | bumped |
| 2006 | 38th | bumped | bumped | rowed-over | bumped by |
| 2007* | 34th | bumped | rowed-over | bumped | bumped and |
| 2008* | 30th |
|-
| 2009 || 28th || Rowed Over || bumped || Rowed Over || bumped
|-
| 2010* || 24th || bumped || bumped || bumped || bumped
|}
Women
| Year (* denotes blades) | Finish position | 1st day | 2nd day | 3rd day | 4th Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 12th | bumped by | bumped by | bumped by | bumped by |
| 1998 | 12th | rowed-over | rowed-over | rowed-over | rowed-over |
| 1999 | 15th | rowed-over | bumped by | bumped by | bumped by |
| 2000 | 21st | bumped by | bumped by | bumped by | overbumped by |
| 2001 | 25th | bumped by | bumped by | bumped by | bumped by |
| 2002 | 28th | rowed-over | bumped by | bumped by | bumped by |
| 2003 | 32nd | bumped by | bumped by | bumped by | bumped by |
| 2004 | 34th | bumped by | rowed-over | bumped by | rowed-over |
| 2005 | 33rd | rowed-over | bumped | rowed-over | rowed-over |
| 2006 | 32nd | rowed-over | rowed-over | bumped | rowed-over |
| 2007 | 29th | over-bumped | bumped | rowed-over | bumped by |
| 2008 | 28th | rowed-over | rowed-over | rowed-over |
|-
| 2009 || 26th || rowed-over || Bumped || rowed-over || bumped
|-
| 2010 || 30th || bumped by || bumped by || bumped by || bumped by
|}
Men's Captain
- 2010-11: Oliver Rubens
- 2009-10: Fred Lord
- 2008-09: Fred Lord
- 2007-08: Enno Oldewurtel
- 2006-07: Daniel Ham
- 2005-06: Jing Dong Chen
- 2004-05: Che Meakins
- 2003-04: Richard Harrington
- 2002-03: Tim Webb
- 2001-02: Devin-Paul O'Brien
- 2000-01: Bondi MacFarlane
- 1999-00: Alex Shaw
- 1998-99: Dan ??
- 1997-98: Ben Caron
- 1996-97: George Trafford
- 1995-96: George Trafford
- 1994-95: Jon Drew
Women's Captain
- 2010-2011: Meredith Wood
- 2009-10: Amy Munro-Faure and Leonie Taylor
- 2008-09: Imogen Ireland
- 2007-08: Louise Hainsworth
- 2006-07: Amy Blessington
- 2005-06: Emma Wright
- 2004-05: Rhiannon Wynne & Rachel MacDonald
- 2003-04: Hannah Derbyshire
- 2002-03: Georgina Fowke
- 2001-02: Jennifer Hubbard
- 2000-01: Hannah Cadman
Secretary
- 2010-2011: Rujuta Khanolar
- 2009-10: Laura Bevins
- 2008-09: Laura Bevins
- 2007-08: Johnny Birtwell
- 2006-07: Theodore Bell
- 2005-06: Stephen Mounsey
- 2004-05: Sam Farmer
- 2003-04: Sam Farmer
- 2000-01: Emma Levy
CUBC
- 2011: Mike Thorp (Blue Boat)
- 2010: Mike Thorp (Goldie - won)
- 1999-2000: Dan McSherry (Goldie)
- 1998-1999: Dan McSherry (spare)
- 1996-97: Suzie K. Ellis (cox, Goldie - won)
CUWBC
- 2011: Anna Beare (Lightweight - won)
- 2004: Rachael Hanley (Blondie), Catherine Sutherland (Blondie)
- 2002: Ulrike Münch-Klever (Spare)
- 2001: Hannah Cadman (Lightweights), Ruth Pidgeon (cox - Trial 8s)
CULRC
- 2011: Chris Bellamy (Pres)
- 2009-10: Chris Bellamy (won)
- 2005-06: Che Meakins (Granta), Richard Harrington (Spare)
- 2002-03: Dave Pearce (Spare)